Martin Archery was near extinction two years ago. The iconic American company, started in 1951 by Gail Martin and his wife Eva, fell on hard times after Martin died in July 2013. The company’s assets were about to be auctioned off.That’s when Rich Weatherford stepped in. As a seasoned executive with experience in other industries, Weatherford saw potential in the venerable company.“I had worked in the Fortune 500 world,” he said. “I’d hit a point in my…

The value of seasonal sales is clear in some market segments. Perhaps the most obvious is Christmas trees, as all manner of retailers scramble to stock and sell them between mid-November and Dec. 25.Although many archery retailers adeptly capitalize on sales around hunting season, they often miss less obvious ways to tie sales to seasons and events.“Retailers can drive additional traffic into their shops with just a little planning,” said Amy Hatfield, communications…

The third installment of “The Hunger Games” movie franchise, “Mockingjay” opens this Friday, Nov. 21. If the first two movies were any indication, this film will push unlikely customers into your shops.When that happens, knowing a little about the movie creates identification with new customers, builds rapport and improves your ability to make a sale. It’s essentially learning a language and using it when a teenager — inspired by these movies —…

More Internet users are listening to podcasts. The Pew Research Centerfound 27 percent of Internet users 18 and older downloaded or listened to podcasts in 2013, up from 21 percent in 2010 and 7 percent in 2006.For more signs of a growing podcast audience, look no further than Apple. In 2013 the company celebrated its 1 billionth podcast subscription. Since then, Apple’s iTunes store has steadily grown its catalog to over 8 million episodes in 100 languages.Business, comedy,…